Atmospheric car-brake



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet l.

G. B. LEONARD & L. GLENN.

' ATMOSPHERIC OAR BRAKE.

N0. 303,527. I Patented Aug. '12, 1884.

712mb" 65' I I i JhVenZZzJf I 2&4 {umlbw 91141 44] Q 'NZYW (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. B. LEONARD s L. GLENN.

ATMOSPHERIC GAB. BRAKE.

No. 308,527. Patented Aug. 12, 1884.

UNITED 7 STATES PAT NT Fries.

GEORGE B. LEONARD AND LAIVRENOE GLENN, OF OTTUMWVA, IOW'A.

ATMOSPHERIC CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,527, dated August 12, 1884.

Application filed February .26, 1884. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE B. LEONARD aHCI'LAWRENOE GLENN, citizens of the United States, residing at Ottumwa, in the county of Vapello and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Atmospheric Car-Brakes; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in the, apparatus used for operating air-brakes,

and has more particular reference to an automatic controlling-valve and connections to the aircylinder, together with means for applying the brakes when the pressure from the engine is cut off. 7

The manner in which we construct and operate our device to fulfill these objects will be understood from the following description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate what we consider the best means for carrying our invention into practice.

Figure l is a section of the engineers controlling-valve chamber and inclosed valve with connections. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement of valve, auxiliary cylinder, and brake-cylinder with connections. The main pipe is shown broken off in both these figures, in order to indicate the distance between the apparatus. In practice this pipe is of course connected. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the valve for use at the brake or on the coaches. Fig. 4 is a section of brake-cylinder; Fig. 5, a section of valve-chamber with inclosed valve. Fig. (3 is a modification, hereinafter more fully explained.

Similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

1 is the engine or main air-drum; 1, the pipe leading from it to the valve-chamber 2, in which the valve 2 under control of the engineer works. The chamber 2 is connected to the main pipe A at a point opposite the entrance of the pipe '1 from air-drum, and the valve 2 is provided with the transverse port or passage 2 which normally registers with pipe 1 and A. A coiled spring, 3, tends to keep the passage 2" in line with the pipes l and A by forcing the valve forward in its chamber.

Attached to the valve-rod at is a lever, 5, pivoted on the are 6, and adapted to engage with the stops or teeth 7 on one side thereof. By taking hold of this lever and pressing it in the proper direction the force of the spring 3 is overcome and the valve 2 forced back to I close the mouths of pipes 1 and A, and thereby shut off the pressure from air-drum 1. In the valve 2 is provided a leak-passage, 2, which can be made to register with the mouth of pipe A and a leak-hole on the under side I of chamber 2, whereby the air in the pipe A is allowed to escape; but the drum 1 will re main closed.

We do not lay any claim to this engineers valve in this application, having made it the subj ect-matter of a separate application for patent filed July 22, 1884, Serial N 0. 138,432. The main pipe A leads from the engineers valve to the valves under the coaches. It is provided with a stopcock, A, in front of the valve at the brake on the coach, to regulate or cut off the flow of air thereto. valve-chamber for the brake-valve O. The pipe A connects with this chamber B. The valve 0 will be more particularly described further on. The valve-chamber B is connected by pipes Q 0 to the front and rear of the air-cylinder, 1), respectively, and by the pipe 0 to the storage or auxiliary air chamber or cylinder E. The air-cylinder D, in which the piston D moves, whose action controls the condition of the brakes, is tight at both ends, and is provided at the rear end with a cock, D to allow discharge of condensations.

The construction and operation of the valve 0 and the connection of the air-pipes is such as to deliver air in front of the piston D in the cylinder D, when the pressure is applied from the engine, and at the same time to store a quantity of air in a highly-compressed condition in the auxiliary chamber E, and when the pressure from the engine is cut off to automatically reverse the brake-piston by calling into requisition the air stored in the auxiliary chamber E, and on reversing the motion of the piston, at either end of the stroke, to provide a leak to permit the escape of waste air from the opposite side of the piston. This valve 0 is moved in one direction by the pressure-of air from the engine and in the other by a spring, S. The valve 0 is made in the form B is the ICO of an elongated piston or plunger, and works snugly in the chamber B. It may be made of a single length of metal without packing, or it may be formed of several sections, and, if desired, may be packed in any suitable or con venient manner. It is provided with a groove, F, into which projects a plug or stop, F, which is attached to or passed through the walls of the chamber B,and serves, by coming in contact with the end of the groove,to limit the forward throw of the'valve. The valve is provided with a transverse passage, F which registers on one side with the mouth of the pipe 0 leading to the rear end of the cylinder, and on the other side with the pipe leading to the auxiliary chamber, when the valve is forced back upon its seat Z by the expansion of the spring S. The valve is also provided with the Tpassage F leading from the end of the valve next to the main pipe-connection to the side and opening at a point which will register with the pipe Gileading to the storagetank E, when the pressure in the main pipe is on and the valve is driven away from the seat Z. At the same time that air is being delivered to the storage-tank E it is also delivered to the forward end of the air-cylinder through the passage or port F which extends from end of valve to a point which registers with the mouth of pipe 0, when the pressure is on in pipe A. The valve is also provided with a port or passage, F, having openings on side and bottom of the valve for the passage of the leak or waste air. The chamber B is provided with leak holes I) b, underneath,which are in line with the bottom opening of passage F, and the mouths of pipes c c are in line with the side openings thereof, so that when the piston is reversed in the air-cylinder the passage F will register with one or the other of the pipes O or O, and with one or the other of the leak-holes b or b, according to the end of the air-cylinder receiving air. The spring S is coiled around the valve-rodf, and bears against the valve at one end and the chamber-head at the other, and is of proper power to reverse the valve when the pressure is removed, but will not interfere with the proper action thereof when the pressure of air is on. The heads of both the working air-cylinder and the auxiliary or storage aircylinder and the valve-chamber are made removable by being screw-caps, or of other convenient form for ready removal. The end of the chamber B,ncxt to the main pipeconnection, is provided with a seat or cushion Z for the valve 0; but this may be dispensed with, if desired.

.the engine are conditioned to throw pressure through pipe A, and the cock A is open, the valve G will be forced up until stopped by the plug F. The passage F in the valve is thereby brought into line with the mouth of pipe 0 in the valve-chamber and air admitted to forward end, X, of cylinder D, thereby forcing the piston toward the rear end, Y. This action releases the brakes. At the same time the passage Fin the valve G is made to bring the mouth of pipe 0" and leak-hole b into communication, thereby allowing waste air to escape from end Y of cylinder and preventing all possibility of counter-pressure upon piston D. While the pressure continues in main pipe, the passage F is caused to register with pipe 0 leading to auxiliary storage-cylinder E, which is thereby filled with air. As long as pressure is continued through main pipe A, either by having it communicate with airdrnm l or by sealing its mouth, as already explained, at valve 2, the brakes will be loose or released. Now, if it be desired to draw'or apply the brakes, the pressure through pipe A is cut off at the engine in the manner already explained, or by cock A, and the force stored in the compressed spring S will be given out and cause the valve to be driven back upon the end of the chamber or seat Z, which will bring about the following condition of passages and consequent action of parts: The passage F will register with pipes O and C and allow the air stored in chamber E to flow into the cylinder at the rear end, Y, and reverse the piston D. At the same time passage F* is caused to connect pipe 0 and leakhole I), which will allow the air to exhaust from the forward end, X, of cylinder D. The forceof the air stored in chamber E, when thus released, will be amply sufficient to reverse the piston and apply the brakes. Thus it will be seen that the application of the brakes does not depend on the integrity or continuance of the pressure from the engine, nor upon the manipulation of levers or springs, but that the force which applies the brakes is derived from the air stored in the auxiliary chamber, which is upon the same car with the brake-cylinder D.

The modification shown in Fig. 6 enables us to apply the brakes by direct pressure and release them by the force of the air stored in the auxiliary chamber E. It will be noticed that pipe 0 here communicates with rear end of the cylinder and pipe 0* with forward end of the same. The same passages through the valve, leak-holes in the valve-chamber, 8m, are provided in this case, as before, and their action is the same, the only change being the manner of running the pipes G and O in order to bring about the application of the brake by direct pressure and its release by pressure from storage-cylinder.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters Pattent is 1. In an air-brake, the combination, with the valve-chamber and piston-valve therein having a leak-passage through it, of a powercylinder having connections from both its ends to the valve-chamber, so located and arranged as to bring one or the other into communication with the leak-passage as the valve is at the extremities of its movement.

2. In an air-brake, the combination, with a power-cylinder and auxiliary storage-cylinder, of an interposed valve-chamber and piston-valve having a passage through it to communicate with the storagecylinder when the pressure is on from the engine, and a transverse passage directly through it to produce communication between the storage and power cylinders when the pressure from the engine .is cut off.

3. The valve described, having the passage F for connecting pipes A and O, the passage F for connecting the pipes (J and the passage F for connecting main pipe A and pipe C, and the passage F, for connecting either In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. B. LEONARD. LAW'RENCE GLENN.

Witnesses:

JAMES R. RUssELL, WILLIAM J. ALLEN. 

